ArticleInfectious diseases of poverty2023
National prevalence and risk factors for tungiasis in Kenya.
Article in Infectious diseases of poverty, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 23 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prevalence and risk factors for tungiasis in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC infectious diseases · 2025Pooled it
- Better floors, better health: a theory of change for an improved household flooring intervention in rural communities in Kwale and Bungoma counties, Kenya.BMC public health · 2025Trial
- Estimation of the global burden of tungiasis in endemic countries using a disability adjusted life-years modelling approach.BMC global and public health · 2026Article
- Frontline Health Workers' Perspectives of the World Health Organization Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases App in Kenya: Qualitative Study on AI-Embedded mHealth Implementation.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2026Article
- Effectiveness of dimeticone oils versus sodium carbonate solution in the treatment of tungiasis in Kenya: a non-inferiority randomised trial.Tropical medicine and health · 2026Article
- Prevalence, spatial and temporal distribution of tungiasis in the Kilifi Health and Demographic Surveillance System (KHDSS) in Kenya.BMJ global health · 2026Article
- Individual and household factors associated with tungiasis in a marginalized population in Karamoja, northeastern Uganda.Tropical medicine and health · 2026Article
- Social, environmental and policy contexts affecting the feasibility and acceptability of improving household flooring for better health in rural Kenya.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Article
- Beyond poverty, tungiasis is associated with family characteristics and parenting behavior: a case control study in Kenya.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Prevalence and Risk Factors of Tungiasis Among Selected Regions of Ethiopia: A Meta-Analysis.Health science reports · 2025Review
- Assessing the impact of tungiasis on children's quality of life in Kenya.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2025Article
- Article
- Tungiasis among children in Kenya is associated with poor nutrition status, absenteeism, poor school performance and high impact on quality of life.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2024Article
- Identification of tungiasis infection hotspots with a low-cost, high-throughput method for extracting Tunga penetrans (Siphonaptera) off-host stages from soil samples-An observational study.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2024Observational
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Authors and funding
15 authors at 7 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundTungiasis is a highly neglected tropical skin disease caused by the sand flea, Tunga penetrans, the female of which burrows into the skin, causing pain and itching. The disease occurs throughout South America and sub-Saharan Africa but there are few systematic data on national disease burdens. The tungiasis research community is keen to develop survey methods to fill this gap. Here we used a school-based, thorough examination method to determine the prevalence and risk factors for tungiasis in Kenya.
methodsWe conducted the first nationally representative survey of tungiasis, including nine counties covering the major ecological zones of Kenya. A stratified multistage random sampling was used to select 22 primary schools from each of the nine counties and to select up to 114 pupils aged 8 to 14 years in each school. Pupils were examined thoroughly for tungiasis. Two surveys were conducted, the first between May and July 2021 and the second between October 2021 and April 2023 when pupils were also interviewed for risk factors. Mixed effect logistic regression models were used to test associations of independent variables with tungiasis using the school as a random effect.
resultsThe overall prevalence of tungiasis in the first survey was 1.35% [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.15-1.59%], and 0.89% in the second survey. The prevalence ranged from 0.08% (95% CI: 0.01-0.59%) in Taita Taveta county to 3.24% (95% CI: 2.35-4.44%) in Kajiado county. Tungiasis infection was associated with county of residence, male sex [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.52-2.67], and lower age (aOR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.75-0.88). For the first time we demonstrate an association with attending public schools rather than private schools (aOR = 5.62, 95% CI: 1.20-26.22) and lower socioeconomic status (aOR = 0.10, 95% CI: 0.03-0.33). Using a rapid screening method of the top of feet only, would have missed 62.9% of all cases, 78.9% of mild cases and 20.0% of severe cases.
conclusionsTungiasis is widely but heterogeneously distributed across Kenya. School-based surveys offer an efficient strategy for mapping tungiasis distribution.
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